On a day when I am a bit sniffly and feeling just this side of puny, I received a timely email from Everest College Fort Worth North. Admittedly, I hadn’t heard of the school, but when I put my investigative reporter skills to use, learned that it offers degrees in such fields as health care, criminal justice and information technology.

The flu vaccine does NOT cause the flu. This is “a complete myth and a dangerous one,” Beckwith says. The most important thing to do to prevent getting the flu and its complications is to get a flu shot.

You need a flu vaccine every year. “The influenza virus that causes the flu is constantly evolving,” he says, “and the most common strains of the virus can change from year to year.”

Even healthy adults need a flu shot. You may think you can fight the flu on your own, but it’s no fun having it. Plus, if you do get it, you’re spreading the virus up to a full day before you even show symptoms, and up to a week afterward.

You need a flu shot NOW. Though the most common times for the flu are in January and February, it can come as early as October or as late as May. So the sooner you get your shot, the better.

So there you go. Stay healthy, wash your hands, avoid hanging out with co-workers who opted to go into the office instead of confining their cooties to home.